Initial responses of rove and ground beetles (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae, Carabidae) to removal of logging residues following clearcut harvesting in the boreal forest of Quebec,Canada

Increased interest in biomass harvesting for bioenergetic applications has raised questions regarding the potential ecological consequences on forest biodiversity. Here we evaluate the initial changes in the abundance, species richness and community composition of rove (Staphylinidae) and ground beetles (Carabidae), immediately following 1) stem-only harvesting (SOH), in which logging debris (i.e., tree tops and branches) are retained on site, and 2) whole-tree harvesting (WTH), in which stems, tops and branches are removed in mature balsam fir stands in Quebec, Canada. Beetles were collected throughout the summer of 2011, one year following harvesting, using pitfall traps. Overall catch rates were greater in uncut forest (Control) than either stem-only or whole-tree harvested sites. Catch rates in WTH were greater than SOH sites. Uncut stands were characterized primarily by five species: Atheta capsularis, Atheta klagesi, Atheta strigosula, Tachinus fumipennis/frigidus complex (Staphylinidae) and to a lesser extent to Pterostichus punctatissimus(Carabidae). Increased catch rates in WTH sites, where post-harvest biomass was less, were attributable to increased catches of rove beetles Pseudopsis subulata, Quedius labradorensis and to a lesser extent Gabrius brevipennis. We were able to characterize differences in beetle assemblages between harvested and non-harvested plots as well as differences between whole tree (WTH) and stem only (SOH) harvested sites where logging residues had been removed or left following harvest. However, the overall assemblage response was largely a recapitulation of the responses of several abundant species.     

Impact of industrial pollutions on forest communities of rove beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) in Shelekhov raion of Irkutsk oblast

Exeplified by rove beetles from Shelekhov raion of Irkutsk oblast, the impact of industrial pollution on their forest communities is demonstrated. The taxonomic composition, relictivity categories, life forms, ecological and size groups, and biotopes are revealed, the index of similarity of the rove beetle complexes from investigated sites is analyzed. The numbers of ubiquists and saprophages decrease as the distance from the source of pollution increases; the species sensitivity to anthropogenic stress at the Shelekhov site is close to the critical level.     

Cork-oak woodlands as key-habitats for biodiversity conservation in Mediterranean landscapes: a case study using rove and ground beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Carabidae)

Land-use intensification in Mediterranean agro-forest systems became a pressure on biodiversity, concerning particularly the woodland sensitive species. In 2001, the effects of a land-use gradient from old-growth cork-oak forest to a homogeneous agricultural area were assessed using rove beetles as indicators in a Mediterranean landscape. The aim was to find which species were negatively affected by land-use intensification at the landscape level and whether they benefited from cork-oak patches occurring along the land-use gradient. A total of 3,196 rove beetles from 88 taxa were sampled from all landscape types. Agricultural area recorded significantly higher numbers of abundance and species richness in relation to the cork-oak mosaics, i.e. the old-growth forest and the managed agro-forest landscapes (montados). Moreover, 70% of rove beetle indicator species common enough to be tested by IndVal displayed their highest indicator value for agriculture, showing a lower number of woodland indicators in comparison to ground beetles. Nevertheless, one rove beetle taxon was considered a specialist of closed woodland mosaics while no specialist ground beetle was found for that landscape typology. Some rare rove beetle species were also important in typifying diversity patterns of old-growth cork-oak forests. Hence, future management in Mediterranean landscapes should take into account not only indicator species common enough to be tested by IndVal, but also rare and endemic species. Considering the added value of cork-oak woodland cover for sensitive rove and ground beetle diversity, the strengthening of cork-oak woodland connectivity seems to be a crucial management that is required in agricultural Mediterranean landscapes.     

Pseudotracheal tubes, larval head, and mycophagy in Sepedophilus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Tachyporinae)

Newton (in: Wheeler, Q.; Blackwell, M. (eds), Fungus-Insect Relationships: Perspectives in Ecology and Evolution . New York: Columbia University Press, pp. 302–353, 1984) characterized five types of Sepedophilus larvae based on head structures and the external and internal features of the head of larvae of Sepedophilus type C are described in detail herein. A functional interpretation of structures involved with feeding is made on the basis of morphological and behavioural observations. Types C and D larvae possess tube-like epipharyngeal structures resembling dipteran labial pseudotrachea, which may play an important role in a specialized liquid-feeding process. Based on a preliminary analysis of head characters delimited by Newton (1984) it is shown that mycophagy has evolved once from a predatory ancestor, although some Sepedophilus groups may have mixed feeding strategies. The epipharyngeal tubes are demonstrated to be unique to mycophagous Sepedophilus in Coleoptera whereas the overall head structure is very similar to mycophagous larvae in the family Sphindidae.     

Taxonomy of two oxypodine genera, Porocallus Sharp and Rhomphocallus Assing, in Korea (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae)

A taxonomic study of the genera Porocallus Sharp and Rhomphocallus Assing in Korea is presented. The genus Rhomphocallus and two species, Rhomphocallus princeps (Sharp) and Rhomphocallus maruyamai Assing, are reported for the first time in Korea. Porocallus insignis Sharp is recorded for the first time in South Korea. Diagnoses, illustrations of habitus and line drawings of diagnostic characters are provided.     

Fungal community composition in the gut of rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) from the Canadian boreal forest reveals possible endosymbiotic interactions for dietary needs

The goal of this study was to investigate the fungal community composition in the gut of Staphylinidae from boreal forest in order to better understand the diversity and the complexity of fungus-insect relationships. DNA gut content analyses of nine abundant rove beetle species (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) living in the boreal balsam fir forest ecosystem (Montmorency Forest, Quebec, Canada) were performed to identify the fungal taxa present either as endosymbiotic taxa or as a source of nutrition. A total of 42 fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were recorded from the analysis of 441 fungal ITS rDNA sequences recovered from gut extracts. The OTU richness per species ranged between four in Tachinus quebecensis and 16 in Atheta ventricosa. The fungal mycobiota in posterior gut extracts was dominated by Saccharomycetales (12 OTUs), followed by Sordariomycetes (nine OTUs). No significant difference was observed between the OTU richness recorded within each of the three subfamilies of rove beetles investigated. The core mycobiome of the posterior gut extracts was dominated by three OTUs related to yeasts, with ITS sequences having pairwise similarities equal to or greater than 99% with Candida mesenterica, Debaryomyces spp. and Ophiostoma pluriannulatum. These results provide some evidence of the consumer-resource relationships of these beetles. Predominance of yeast and fungal spores in the posterior gut of rove beetles suggests that they may play an important role in their dietary requirements and as endosymbionts.     

Structure of the tarsi in some Stenus species (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae): external morphology,ultrastructure, and tarsal secretion

SEM studies show that the differentiation among Stenus species with respect to the formation of the tarsi (wide bilobed vs. slender tarsomeres) takes place with a considerable augmentation of tarsal ventral setae in wide bilobed tarsomeres. The structural diversity of ventral tarsal setae among and within species is discussed with respect to 1) their different roles as mechanosensilla and tenent setae, respectively, and 2) the different selection pressures in terms of adhesive requirements along the longitudinal tarsus axis. The tarsi are provided with four groups of tarsal mechanosensilla, comprising hair and bristle sensilla, campaniform sensilla, and scolopidia. The tarsus wall is supported by an epidermis, which forms three different types of glands pouring their secretion via different exit paths onto the outer cuticle. The organization and ultrastructure of each of these glands is described. Only one (unicellular) gland is directly associated with the ventral tenent setae and is thus considered to form the main part of the adhesive secretion. The beetles appear to release the tarsal secretion through mediation of the tenent setae, which contains a lipid and a proteinaceous fraction. I propose that the secretion is discharged to the outside via a system of very fine pore canals in the wall of the setal shaft. Gas chromatography and infrared spectroscopy revealed that the lipid fraction of the secretion is a mixture of unsaturated fatty acid glycerides and aliphatic hydrocarbons whose spectra are similar to those of extractions of the superficial lipid coating of the body surface.     

New Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) records with new collection data from New Brunswick, and an addition to the fauna of Quebec, Canada: Aleocharinae

Thirty-eight species of Aleocharinae are newly reported from New Brunswick, bringing the total number of species known from the province to 216. Thirty-one of these species are newly recorded for the Maritime provinces, and four of them, Phloeopora oregona Casey, Gyrophaena michigana Seevers, Gyrophaena wisconsinica Seevers, and Tomoglossa decora (Casey), are newly recorded for Canada. Tomoglossa constitutes a new generic record for Canada. Collection and habitat data for all these species are presented and discussed. Color habitus, median lobe of the aedeagus, and male tergite and sternite 8 images are presented for the first time for Phloeopora oregona, and references to illustrations are provided for all other species included in this paper. A color habitus image is presented for Tomoglossa decora.     

Response of ground and rove beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae,Staphylinidae) to operational oil sands mine reclamation in northeastern Alberta,a case study

Species loss caused by anthropogenic disturbance threatens forest ecosystems globally. Until 50 years ago, the major sources of boreal forest disturbance in western Canada were a combination of forest wild fire events, pest insect outbreaks, and forest timber harvesting. However, in the 1960s, when the oil boom started in Alberta, oil and gas development along with oil sands mining quickly became another major forest disturbance agent. In this case study we report the effects of operational oil sands mine reclamation on terrestrial arthropod communities and compare them with nearby burned and mature forest sites as a way to provide a benchmark from which to understand the long-term trajectory of recovery for these groups. During the summer of 2016 over 6700 epigaeic beetles were collected using pitfall traps. A total of 43 species of ground beetles and 118 species of rove beetles were collected. Epigaeic beetle assemblages differed between the reclaimed, burned, and mature forest sites. Partitioning of beta diversity in the reclaimed, burned areas and mature forests indicated that species turnover formed the largest component of diversity. Species richness patterns were similar among sites; however, cluster analysis indicated that epigaeic beetle assemblages were only 20% similar between the reclaimed and natural sites. Although ground beetles of the reclaimed area showed positive spatial autocorrelation among treatments, both ground and rove beetles showed responses to the reclamation treatments. The reclaimed areas were dominated by small- to medium-sized open-habitat eurytopic species, whereas the fire and mature forest sites were dominated by larger forest species. The reclaimed area of this case study constitutes a novel, reconstructed ecosystem that is clearly not equivalent in species assemblage to burnt stands of similar age or to mature forest stands.     

Species diversity and community structure of rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) attracted to dung of sika deer in coniferous forests of southwest Japan

Insect communities of mammal dung have been known as excellent model ecosystems for scientific study. Ecological surveys of diversity and seasonal patterns of coprophilous rove beetles in relation to wild mammals have rarely been conducted, although the high potential species diversity and abundance of the rove beetles are known. In order to investigate biodiversity of these beetles, we analyzed species composition, abundance, feeding guild and seasonality of rove beetles that were attracted to sika deer Cervus nippon dung by using dung‐baited pitfall traps for a 1.5‐year study in two plantations (cypress, cedar) and one secondary natural forest (pine) in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwest Japan. Consequently, saprophagous Anotylus sp. (Oxytelinae) was dominant in all forests. Analyses of feeding guild structure showed the number of individuals were dominated by saprophagous beetles, but the number of species were dominated by predatory beetles. Seasonal effects suggested that the species richness and abundance of rove beetles are possibly regulated by scarabaeoid dung beetles. These findings feature one example of a coprophilous rove beetle community.     

New Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) records with new collection data from New Brunswick, Canada: Omaliinae, Micropeplinae, Phloeocharinae, Olisthaerinae, and Habrocerinae

Eleven species of Omaliinae are newly recorded from New Brunswick, bringing the total number of species known from the province to 32 described species. Supporting data are presented for the New Brunswick record of Geodromicus strictus (Fauvel) reported by Majka et al. (2011). Micropeplus browni Campbell, Micropeplus laticollis Mäklin (Micropeplinae), Charyhyphus picipennis (LeConte) (Phloeocharinae), Olisthaerus substriatus (Paykull) (Olisthaerinae), Habrocerus capillaricornis (Gravenhorst), Habrocerus magnus LeConte, and Habrocerus schwarzi Horn (Habrocerinae) are also newly recorded for New Brunswick. These are the first records of the latter four subfamilies from New Brunswick. Collection and bionomic data are presented for each species and discussed.     

Feeding of xenobiotic ω-phenylalkanoic acids remarkably changes the chemistry and toxicity of the defensive secretion of Oxytelus sculpturatus Grav. (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae)

Feeding experiments with 12-phenyl[2,2-²H₂]dodecanoic acid and the correponding methylester resulted in the formation of 2-phenylethanol (probably produced via β-oxidation) and high amounts of 2-phenylethylesters of free fatty acids from the defensive secretion of Oxytelus sculpturatus rove beetles. The extraordinarily high amount of the metabolites occurring in the glands after administration of methyl-12-phenyl[2,2-²H₂]dodecanoate had a significant effect on the toxicity of the toluquinone-saturated defensive secretion mixture. Analogous experiments with 11-phenyl-[2-²H]undecanoic acid revealed a less efficient incorporation of this precursor leading to esters of 1-phenylethanol and 4-phenylbutan-2-ol and traces of 10-phenyl-1-decene probably formed via oxidative decarboxylation.     

Longhorn beetles and predatory clerid beetles attracted to a blend of longhorn beetle pheromone compounds in a Central European oak forest (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae,Cleridae)

1. A blend of longhorn beetle pheromones was tested as a generic attractant in a Central European oak forest. Overall, 20 cerambycid species totalling 1250 specimens were captured using two trap types.
2. More adults of Phymatodes testaceus and Leiopus nebulosus nebulosus were attracted to pheromone-baited traps compared to solvent controls. Significant numbers of four other species were caught by panel traps but not funnel traps. For the cerambycine Pyrrhidium sanguineum, significantly more beetles were caught in treatment traps than controls. For the cerambycine Anaglyptus mysticus, lepturines Cortodera humeralis and Rhagium sycophanta, the numbers of beetles caught in treatment or control traps were similar, indicating no attraction to the lure blend. Adults of a predatory clerid beetle Clerus mutillarius were caught in significantly larger numbers by both baited trap types in comparison to controls, totalling 1514 specimens.
3. Antennae of both sexes of C. mutillarius showed responses to 3-hydroxyhexan-2-one and 2-methylbutan-1-ol, and males also responded to syn-2,3-hexanediol.
4. Strong attraction of C. mutillarius suggests eavesdropping on the pheromones of cerambycids and that such attractant baits, without traps, might be used to manipulate the local population density of predators in a push-pull biological control program.

     

Species richness patterns of obligate subterranean beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) in a global biodiversity hotspot – effect of scale and sampling intensity

We studied species richness patterns of obligate subterranean (troglobiotic) beetles in the Dinaric karst of the western Balkans, using five grid sizes with cells of 80 × 80, 40 × 40, 20 × 20, 10 × 10, and 5 × 5 km. The same two hotspots could be recognized at all scales, although details differed. Differences in sampling intensity were not sufficient to explain these patterns. Correlations between number of species and number of sampled localities increased with increasing cell size. Additional species are expected to be found in the region, as indicated by jackknife 1, jackknife 2, Chao2, bootstrap, and incidence‐based coverage (ICE) species richness estimators. All estimates increased with increasing cell size, except Chao2, with the lowest prediction at the intermediate 20 × 20 km cell size. Jackknife 2 and ICE gave highest estimates and jackknife 1 and bootstrap the lowest. Jackknife 1 and bootstrap estimates changed least with cell size, while the number of single cell species increased. In the highly endemic subterranean fauna with many rare species, bootstrap may be most appropriate to consider. Positive autocorrelation of species numbers was highest at 20 × 20 km scale, so we used this cell size for further analyses. At this scale we added 137 localities with less positional accuracy to 1572 previously considered, and increased 254 troglobiotic species considered to 276. Previously discovered hotspots and their positions did not change, except for a new species‐rich cell which appeared in the south‐eastern region. There are two centres of troglobiotic species richness in the Dinaric karst. The one in the north‐west exhibited high species richness of Trechinae (Carabidae), while in the south‐east, the Leptodirinae (Cholevidae) were much more diverse. These centres of species richness should serve as the starting point for establishing a conservation network of important subterranean areas in Dinaric karst.     

Rove beetles of the subtribe Scopaeina Mulsant & Rey (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in the West Palaearctic: Phylogeny, biogeography and species catalogue

A cladistic analysis of the West Palaearctic Scopaeina Mulsant & Rey, 1878 (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae: Paederinae) is presented along with bionomic and biogeographic information. A total of 76 morphological characters were coded for the 88 currently known West Palaearctic species, except for S. bifossicapitata (Outerelo & Oromi, 1987). Results show that Scopaeina comprises two well-supported monophyletic groups in the West Palaearctic, Micranops Cameron, 1913 and Scopaeus Erichson, 1840, which are considered to represent distinct genera. Phylogenetic relationships to Orus Casey, 1884, distributed in North and South America, are briefly discussed. Whereas Micranops is only represented by M. pilicornis (Baudi, 1869) in the region under study, 87 species of Scopaeus are currently known from the West Palaearctic. Within Scopaeus, the cladistic analysis yielded many well-supported monophyletic species groups, most of which are restricted to the West Palaearctic. However, except for Hyperscopaeus Coiffait, 1984, they are not in agreement with the widely used subgeneric concept sensu Coiffait (1952–1984). The following polyphyletic subgenera are consequently synonymized: Alloscopaeus Coiffait, 1968, Anomoscopaeus Coiffait, 1968, Geoscopaeus Coiffait, 1960, and Hyposcopaeus Coiffait, 1960 synn. n. = Scopaeus Erichson, 1840. Nivorus Herman, 1965, and Microscopaeus Coiffait, 1981 synn. n. = Micranops Cameron, 1913. The monotypical genus Coecoscopaeus Coiffait, 1984, established for C. coecus (Peyerimhoff, 1906), is excluded from Scopaeina. Scopaeus mitratus perroti Ochs, 1953 is raised to species rank, and S. nigellus Wollaston, 1864, formerly a synonym of S. minimus Erichson, 1939, is revalidated. Finally, we present a catalogue of species and synonyms of West Palaearctic Scopaeina along with distributional data and five new synonymies of species group names: S. bordei Peyerimhoff, 1914 syn. n. = S. portai Luze, 1910; S. tassiliensis Jarrige, 1958, S. mauretanicus Coiffait, 1960 synn. n. = S. crassipes Wollaston, 1867; S. saoudiensis Coiffait, 1981 = S. sinaicus Coiffait, 1970; S. mateui Coiffait, 1953 syn. n. = S. didymus Erichson, 1840. A lectotype is designated for S. didymus Erichson, 1840.See also Electronic Supplement (Parts 13) at http://www.senckenberg.de/odes/02-02.htm     

Ant diversity as a direct and indirect driver of pselaphine rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) functional diversity in tropical rainforests,Sabah, Malaysian Borneo

Pselaphinae is a species‐rich beetle subfamily found globally, with many exhibiting myrmecophily—a symbiotic association with ants. Pselaphine–ant associations vary from facultative to obligate, but direct behavioral observations still remain scarce. Pselaphines are speciose and ecologically abundant within tropical leaf litter invertebrate communities where ants dominate, implying a potentially important ecological role that may be affected by habitat disturbances that impact ants. In this study, we measured and analyzed putative functional traits of leaf litter pselaphines associated with myrmecophily through morphometric analysis. We calculated “myrmecophile functional diversity” of pselaphines at different sites and examined this measure's relationship with ant abundance, in both old growth and logged rainforest sites in Sabah, Borneo. We show that myrmecophile functional diversity of pselaphine beetles increases as ant abundance increases. Old growth rainforest sites support a high abundance of ants, which is associated with a high abundance of probable myrmecophilous pselaphines. These results suggest a potential link between adult morphological characters and the functional role these beetles play in rainforest litter as ecological interaction partners with ants.     

A review of host plants of Callipogon (Eoxenus) relictus Semenov (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae), a Korea natural monument,with a new host,Quercus aliena Blume

A comprehensive checklist identifying host plants of phytophagous insects are essential in protecting forest ecosystems from major insect pests. We investigated host plants of Callipogon (Eoxenus) relictus Semenov (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae), an insect categorized as a natural monument in South Korea. Field surveys in Gwangneung forest led us to newly recognize the oriental white oak, Quercus aliena Blume (Fagaceae), as a host plant of C. (E.) relictus. Based on this result and a literature search, we provide an updated list of host plants of C. (E.) relictus in the present study. In addition, we also discussed about microorganisms (mushrooms) and habitats in Gwangneung forest (South Korea) and Ussurisky Nature Reserve (Russia) that are relevant to C. (E.) relictus.